Digital microscope systems per se are known. With digital microscope systems, unlike conventional optical microscopes, the image of the specimen examined is not observed through an eyepiece but first converted optoelectronically by application of a digital image recording device and then either presented visually again by means of an image display device, or else the image content is analyzed electronically. With such a system, observation and analysis are not tied to the location of image recording but can be freely selected thanks to the facilities for transmitting electronic image signals. This enables, e.g., optimum adaptation to the body constitution of an observer, image transmission via communication means to several observation or analysis locations, and adaptation of the microscope to observation tasks that cannot be carried out with conventional microscopes.
Commercially available digital microscopes or microscope systems are intended to suit particular applications and thus mostly designed either as upright or inverted microscopes. Conversion for changing applications that require a change from the upright to the inverted microscope type or vice versa is either not possible at all or only with an excessive amount of work and time.